Oversized Dutch Clog Sculptures to be Featured at Downtown Albany's 2012 Sculpture in the Streets

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(c) 2012 Mitchell Biernacki. Clog Sculpture in Progress for the 2012 Sculpture in the Streets

ALBANY, NY (06/08/2012)(readMedia)-- The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) presents the 2012 - 2013 Sculpture in the Streets exhibition, Stand in the Sole of Albany. This free annual public art exhibition and walking tour highlights Albany's heritage, illustrating both past and present expressions of our Capital City on oversized Dutch clog sculptures, painted by regional artists. Placed throughout downtown Albany, six 7-foot clog sculptures and four 3-foot pairs, make up this year's exhibit. The Stand in the Sole of Albany walking tour will begin on June 15, 2012 and run through May 2013. The exhibit and tour are free and open to the public. Walking tour maps will be available at area merchants, the Downtown Albany BID office at 40 North Pearl Street, Albany and online at downtownalbany.org. For more information visit downtownalbany.org or call 518.465.2143 x11.

"While fun and whimsical, the installation pulls on Albany's rich Dutch influence, blending historical and artistic impressions and offering a multitude of cultural opportunities for the public to enjoy," said Georgette Steffens, Executive Director, Downtown Albany BID, "We want to encourage visitors to engage with the sculptures and experience Downtown, by standing in the soles and developing an affection for the soul and history of Albany. We invite the public to be creative and become part of the sculpture itself – whether through photography or other medium. Interested parties can share how they interact with the sculptures @AlbanyBID."

For the past six years, the Sculpture in the Streets program has hosted the works by the late American Kinetic Sculptor George Rickey, J. Seward Johnson and other international, national and regional artists. The 2012 – 2013 installation, asked regional artists how they are connected to the city of Albany and its history.

Len Tantillo, Albany's resident expert on Dutch - American art and history and this year's Sculpture in the Streets Honorary Committee Chair explained that, "while each artist has their personal reasons for sharing their creative energies, one main theme resonates among all of them; to give unique perspective and life back to the community in which they live and cherish."

The thirteen featured artists include:

• Patricia Baker, Schenectady, NY

• Mitchell Biernacki, Glenmont, NY

• Tony Iadicicco, Albany, NY (with Gutman Black, Albany, NY)

• Paula J. Lawton, Valatie, NY

• Carol Lernihan, Cooperstown, NY

• Denise Poutre, Albany NY

• Kim Schaller, Westerlo, NY

• Sally Spring, Castleton, NY (with Susan Rivers, Ravena, NY and Milton McPherson, Albany, NY)

• Barbara L. Walter, Greenville, NY

• Elizabeth Zunon, Albany, NY

Interested parties can get a sneak peek of one of the clogs in progress by looking through the window at 540 Broadway in downtown Albany until June 12, 2012.

A Garden Party will kick off the art installation on the evening of June 15, 2012 at the Federal Plaza Park from 5:30 – 8:00 PM in downtown Albany, NY. Vanguard – Albany Symphony, Inc., the recipient of the Downtown Albany BID's 2012 Civic Arts Patron Award and Grand Street Community Arts, the recipient of the BID's 2012 Norman S. Rice A.C.E. Award will be honored at the event. Out of the Box, the Downtown Albany JazzFest Contest winner, will be on hand providing music. Tickets are limited and can be purchased online at downtownalbany.org or by calling 518.465.2143 x12.

The exhibit is underwritten in part by the Albany County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, Capitalize Albany, The City of Albany, Key Bank, Kivort Steel, O'Connell & Aronowitz, Omni Development Company Inc., The Stewart's Shops and The Swyer Companies and Albany.com. All the sculptures in the program will be available for purchase during an upcoming auction in 2013. Inquiries should be directed to info@downtownalbany.org | 518.465.2143 x12.

Since 1996, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) has worked to restore, promote and maintain the character and viability of downtown Albany and improve the quality of life and overall image of downtown for those who work in, live in and visit New York's Capital City. The BID is a private, not-for profit 501(c) (3) organization. For more information about Downtown Albany BID please visit downtownalbany.org or call (518) 465-2143.